OTTAWA — Friends of Medicare’s executive director, Chris Gallaway, was on Parliament Hill in Ottawa this morning, joining the Canadian Health Coalition, Canadian Doctors for Medicare, Action Canada for Sexual Health and Rights and Goldblatt Partners LLC lawyer, Emma Phillips, for a press conference to release a brand new legal opinion on the recent Bill 11 regulations released by the Alberta government.
The legal opinion, prepared by Phillips and released by the Canadian Health Coalition, clearly states that the recent regulations proposed by the Alberta government do nothing to alleviate the existential threat of two-tiered, American-style health care, concluding:
Even if these regulations are ultimately implemented, the legislation will continue to contravene the core principles of the Canada Health Act, including the requirements for uniform terms and conditions and accessibility, as well as the prohibitions on extra-billing and user charges.
“Ever since the Alberta government’s plans to entrench two-tier, American-style health care in our province were initially leaked to the public, Friends of Medicare has raised the alarm over the threat it poses not just to Albertans, but to the very foundation of Canada’s universal Medicare,” said Gallaway. “And today’s new legal opinion makes clear that these new regulations have done absolutely nothing to address this reality. The bottom line is that without urgent federal action, come September, Albertans' access to health care will be determined not by their need, but by their ability to pay.”
Friends of Medicare and these allied organizations are renewing our calls for urgent federal action to enforce the Canada Health Act. We're calling on our federal Health Minister and Prime Minister to act immediately to protect Albertans and Canada's treasured universal health care system against the imposition of Bill 11, which will create a two-tiered health care system and a market for private insurance companies to profit off of medically necessary health care.
“The urgency of this threat cannot be understated,” said Gallaway. “Albertans’ provincial government is bringing American health care into Canada, including a system of legislated queue-jumping, in direct contravention of the Canada Health Act. There is no more time to waste. We need leadership from our federal Health Minister including a clear commitment that she will protect the right of Albertans – and all Canadians – to equitable access to universal, comprehensive, public health care.”
Friends of Medicare urges Albertans to amplify our calls on the federal government by sending a message to Federal Health Minister Marjorie Michel, Prime Minister Mark Carney, and their Member of Parliament.
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